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West Berkshire Community Hospital League of Friends celebrates 22 years of achievements in Newbury and Thatcham




A hospital charity has celebrated two significant milestones.

The West Berkshire Community Hospital League of Friends is a volunteer-led charity which has been supporting the various community hospitals in Newbury since 1949.

Chairman Stephen and volunteer Pat inside West Berkshire Community Hospital
Chairman Stephen and volunteer Pat inside West Berkshire Community Hospital

At its recent AGM, held on September 25, it celebrated its 22nd anniversary of the first spade in the ground at its new site at WBCH.

Before the AGM, attendees toured the new DEXA Scanner facilities (equipment used for measuring bone density), costing £100,000, which the League was a major contributor towards.

Its other latest purchase includes five Endoscopes (used to look inside your body), costing £75,000.

And it has also celebrated reaching the significant milestone of donating £3.5 million to the hospital, which is located in Thatcham.

Chairman Stuart Stephens, from Donnington, said: “The League works tirelessly in raising funds and have many examples of this success to share with the local community.

“We still have a member from the very first meeting who still supports our work.”

The League is run by volunteers with practically no overheads or expenses.

It is funded through membership fees, fundraising events and donations.

Volunteers inside the Hospital community cafe
Volunteers inside the Hospital community cafe

All money raised goes towards donating equipment to WBCH to reduce waiting times and reduce the need for patients to travel to Reading or elsewhere for treatment.

“The volunteers are immensely proud of their achievements and truly thankful to all people who have donated to the League’s work,” added Mr Stephens.

Founded in 1939, the League then reformed in 1948 to support the introduction of the NHS.

The new national organisation became the League of Friends but Newbury, although a founding member, kept its pre-war title of the ‘Newbury Hospitals ‘Helpers’ League’.

This title remained until WBCH opened in February 2004, when the name was changed to the WBCH League of Friends.

Please visit www.wbchlf.org.uk to learn more about the charity’s work.



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